Joseph (‘Joey’) Yovich It’s hard to think of a person who has been more connected to City Club in his life When his First Class career came to a close, Joey was in elite company as one of only 9 than Joseph Adam Frank Yovich. Around this club you only have to say “Joey” and players to have scored 2,000 runs and taken 200 . In a list of spinners and medium everyone knows who you’re talking about. pacers, the only true “quicks” on that list are Joey and one Sir Richard Hadlee - illustrious The reason is simple, for not only has Joey given his all on the field, he’s done so off it as well. company. NZ representa�on included: NZ U-19; Brierley NZ Youth Xl; NZ Sixes; NZ A, Proud of his Croa�an heritage, Joey has always brought with him a strong work ethic, numerous NZ training and World Cup squads and NZ selec�on teams vs Interna�onal loyalty and a ‘can do’ a�tude. On the field he is a tenacious, fierce compe�tor, with a touring sides. He played against or toured Australia, England, India, South Africa, Sri never-give-in and resilient nature. Lanka, and Bangladesh. Although he would be selected as “stand-by” for higher honours, surprisingly this eluded him. Joey’s story can’t be told without his Dad’s - Frank “Manuleto” Yovich. As Joey says: “I basically lived in the back pocket of my old man. When I was 10, he would bat for the CCC In the 2001-02 season, ND put an end to Steve Waugh’s Australia team run of consecu�ve Men’s Prems and after his innings, it would be pads off and builder’s apron on to work on First Class wins by drawing with them in Hamilton, Joey knocking over Greg Blewe� and the upstairs clubrooms at the old . I’d sub-field (fine leg to fine leg) and loved the great Adam Gilchrist. Waugh noted to media that Joey was the quickest NZ bowler every minute of it.” he’d faced “by a mile” – and couldn’t believe he wasn’t in NZ colours. Quite the compliment from the Aussie legend. Interes�ngly though, Joey’s Premier cricket didn’t start with City, but instead the WBHS 1st XI. It was there that he scored his first premier grade century (114*) at age 16 vs Of note, Joey has only played for one other club, being Sutherland District Cricket Club in Mangakahia in 1994. At that �me, and for the majority of his career, Joey was a “tearaway” Sydney Grade Cricket, where for three years he would prepare for the NZ summer. quick who could also bat anywhere in the top six – a genuine all-rounder. A natural athlete, In the 1999-2000 season, Joey was City Cricket Club’s fitness trainer/coach. City would be his fielding was also top drawer. WBHS gave Joey his first taste of Na�onal honours when in undefeated club champions that year, winning all 19 matches under Sco� Wilson’s 1994 they won the Gille�e Cup to be crowned NZ’s top Secondary School team. And it was captaincy. Part of Joey’s regime was to introduce the infamous “Yoyo test”. Joey’s high while he was at WBHS that Joey, aged 17, made his Northland debut that same season. standards of strength and condi�oning, which he prided himself on, demonstrated the professional a�tude he wanted to engender at City. He found quick success, scoring his maiden Northland century (119) in just his second game, vs Midlands. With Dion Nash also ge�ng a century, Northland reached 568/6 which That same season, City would be one of the “top six” clubs in the country, represen�ng remains the province’s highest team score. He would then later in the season take 7-26 vs Northern Districts in the pres�gious Na�onal Club Championships, where they finished Thames Valley to confirm his all-round status. 3rd. Joey missed the first two games being in the Shell Trophy Final but, ever the club man, returned immediately a�er the final to join the lads for the last two games. Joey made his City Premier grade debut in 1995-96, when the club won the Senior Championship and Dargaville Shield. Off the field, Joey was part of the City’s execu�ve from 2003 and was elected City’s President in 2015 for a three-year term. During that period, City would win 9 With Northland, Joey played in seven matches (5 Challenges and 2 Defences). Premier/Reserve Grade championships (including the NDCA Club Champions Eric Petrie His abiding memory of Hawke Cup cricket was that it wasn’t for the faint of heart. Joey Cup – best club in the ND Region) along with the pres�gious Whangarei Club of the Year though, dominated with his most memorable match being the challenge victory against (for all codes in Whangarei). Joey always strived for excellence and these achievements holders -Waitakere in 1998 when he scored 124. Making it extra special was a reflected the leadership skills and professionalism he bought to the role. century by fellow “Club Legend” Bryan Young, with another “Club Legend” Denis Lloyd the team coach and City stalwart Mar�n Kimber the team manager. To date (2019) Joey has been a part of 17 Whangarei/Northland Cricket Associa�on winning championships with the club. Add the 11 for ND and that’s a boat full! As well, he Joey quickly gained a reputa�on as a cricketer who demanded the best out of the was a founding member of the NZ Croa�a Cricket team – one very busy and successful opposi�on, if they were to be compe��ve, and from his team mates. Playing hard was the cricketer. To show he hasn’t yet finished, this past season (2018-19) Joey surpassed the only way to engage – and if you didn’t measure up then that was your problem, not his. long-held record by fellow legend Craig Presland for most runs in a season. Chasing down You never had to wonder where Joey stood with his thinking. Pres’s record of 1,245 runs set in the 1990-91 season, Joey finished with 1,343. In all matches for Northland, Joey finished as one of eight players to do the 1,000 runs/100 The picture of the young cricketer adorning City Cricket Club’s 50th Jubilee book was of wickets double, with 2,251 runs and 197 wickets (3rd all �me). His First Class debut for Joey in 1989 playing for the Northland U14 team. It was a glimpse into the future of a Northern Districts came at age 19 in 1996 vs Canterbury. ND scored 550 in the first innings young lad who would go onto a fantas�c cricke�ng career; but also of a person who and yet did not win the match. Joey didn’t bat and didn’t take a . Over the next 17 would hold dear his father’s legacy and help City succeed on and off the field for the next seasons Joey was involved and made significant contribu�ons in winning no less than 11 30 years. In 2019 CCC bestowed its highest honour by making Joey a Life Member, where Championship �tles for ND across all formats – Max Cricket (1), Shell Cup (6), and Shell he sits alongside his father Frank. He has been for some �me now the “heartbeat” of City Trophy/ (4). Cricket Club. We are proud to have him as one of us and for all these reasons Joey Yovich Finals brought the best out of Joey and a quality he aspired to be as a is a City Cricket Club Legend. player – reliable when the pressure was on. In the 1999-2000 Shell Trophy final, he ba�ed all day for 99 to set up victory over Auckland; Notable Achievements and in the last game of the 2001-02 season, scored 63 vs Central Districts, despite his hand being broken early on in two places, for ND (Representa�ve Cricket) to win the Plunket Shield. • Eleven Championship �tles for ND: four First Class (Plunket Shield), six one-day �tles and a Cricket Max Joey proved to be incredibly adaptable during his First Class career. • U19 Tour to England 1996, and New Zealand U20 Tour to Australia 1996 From that tearaway quick, he would become a resolute opening • 1st ND player to do the double of 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in domes�c one day cricket batsman who would bat all day if you let him. His first century (144) • Offered NZ’s Young Player to Lords Scholarship (but unable to accept) 1994 was against Central Districts where ini�al thoughts were of survival • New Zealand A Team Tour to India 2001, and Australia 2006 when he joined Mark Orchard on the McLean Park block with the • 1st NZ domes�c player to score 2,000 first class and 1,000 one day runs; team at 38-5. Four sessions later the pair had set what at the �me and take 200 first class and 100 one day wickets for one province was a NZ First Class record for the sixth wicket of 322 runs. • New Zealand Major Associa�on Selec�on Xl 2004/5 vs Sri Lanka Joey was named ND Cricketer of the Year in 1999-2000 and 2005-06 • New Zealand Sixes Team Tour to Hong Kong 2003/04 – finished with a host of individual awards noted below, including being NZ 3rd in the series Domes�c 20/20 MVP (2008-09) and Northland Sportsman of the • NZ Black Caps vs Tasmania and NSW (warm up matches) 2002/3 Year in 2003. • New Zealand World Cup One-Day Squad 2003 • New Zealand Domes�c Cricket Max Bowler of the Series 1997/98 • New Zealand Domes�c T20 MVP of the series 2008/9 • North Island vs State of Origin One-Day Match 2002/3 • Northern Districts Cricketer of the Year 1999/2000, 2005/6 • Northern Districts Bowler of the Year 2001/2, 2002/3 • Northern Districts Batsman of the Year 2005/6 • Northland Sportsman of the Year 2003 • Northland Cricketer of the Year 1999, 2003 • Northland Youth Cricketer of the Year 1997 (Miscellaneous) • 3rd Most First Class wickets for ND (255) • 3rd Most One-Day wickets for ND (119) • 6th Most One-Day games for ND (111) • All-�me and Northern Districts 6th wicket First Class ba�ng partnership record (322) • 2nd Most First Class matches for ND (120) • 5th Most First Class runs for ND (4,839) • Century against all First Class Major Associa�ons (Central Districts, , , Canterbury, Auckland) • NZ Croa�a Cricket Founding Member • 3rd wicket Hawke Cup Record Ba�ng Partnership – 105 vs 1994/5 • 5th wicket Hawke Cup Record Ba�ng Partnership – 196 vs Auckland Waitakere 1997/8 • One of eight players in the “1,000 runs/100 wickets” club for Northland, with 2251/197

(City Cricket Club – Honours Board) First Class Cricket (Northern Districts) • Most runs in a season for City CC, 2018/19: 1,343 at an average of 134.3 • Named in the 50th Jubilee Book – City Cricket Club all-�me best selec�on Xl Cap # 176 Ba�ng & Fielding M Inns. N.O. Runs Ave. Best 100s 50s Ct (Test Match side – 1972-1997) First Class 121 190 29 4839 30.05 144 6 27 37 • Club Cup (Most Improved Player) – 1997/98 List A One Day 114 97 24 1584 21.69 78* - 6 34 • Wiseman Trophy – Best Average 1999/2000 (7.8) T20s 30 25 7 248 13.77 33* - - 3 • Highest Ba�ng Score – 2008/09 (145), 2014/15 (134, 2018/19 (174*) Bowling • Best Ba�ng Average (8 occasions) – 1998/99, 2000/01, 02/03, 07/08, 11/12, 14/15, M Runs Wickets Average Best Economy 5w 10w 17/18, and 18/19 First Class 121 8579 255 33.64 7-64 3.47 8 1 • Wilson Pla�er (with points for runs, wickets, catches, etc) – 2007/08 (982), List A One Day 114 3255 123 26.46 4-44 5.42 - - 2015/16 (692), 2018/19 (1533) T20s 30 663 33 20.09 4-36 8.55 - - • MVP, Premier Grade – 2015/16

• Kessell Trophy (Highest Partnership) – 2003/04, 06/07, 08/09, 10/11, 11/12, 18/19 Northland • Cooney Cup (Clubman of The Year) – 1999/2000 • Horses Arse (Balls-up of the Day) – Telephone Book Fundraiser – 2001/02, 04/05 Ba�ng & Fielding M Innings N.O. Runs Ave. Best 100s 50s Ct (Cricket Administra�on) Two Day 55 63 13 1789 35.78 124 4 9 20 • City Cricket Club Execu�ve Member: 1999 - 2018 One Day 24 22 5 690 40.6 78 - 3 4 • President City CC: 2015 - 2018 Bowling • Cobham Cricket Club Execu�ve: 2011-13, 2018 – Present M Overs MaidensRuns Wkts. Ave. Best 5w 10w • Trustee, Frank Yovich Memorial Trust: 2000 – Present Two Day 55 1118.1 270 3140 174 18.05 7-26 2 - • NZ Croa�a Cricket President: 2014 - 2017 One Day 24 147 21 529 23 23.00 3-24 - - • NZ Croa�a Cricket Execu�ve: 2014 – Present